Looks like the Virginia (VA) bar exam results will be posted on April 25 or 26th. Just over a month to wait. Usually these dates are quite accurate so Wednesday-Friday that week will be the day. Good luck to everyone who is waiting for their results.
Category: Bar Exam
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February 2012 Bar Exam Analysis (DC VA NY)
And with the leap year behind us, so is the February 2012 Bar exam behind us. Let’s take a quick look at how the exams went.
First, let’s start with DC (and also touch on New York):
Essays – The MEE selection for DC was fair and straightforward, with 2 MBE subjects (contracts and evidence) and 4 MEE subjects (Corporations, Fed Civ Pro (conflicts crossover), Partnership, and Wills).
Performance tests – The MPTs for DC were not as great. We had one Objective letter to a client, which was totally straightforward, and one never before seen “leave behind letter” that was persuasive. Up in NY, they decided to pick the leave behind letter (joy). Nevertheless, as with all MPTs, practice makes perfect and even though the leave behind was an unknown, after looking over it, it became clear what they were asking for and was manageable.
Speaking of NY, the essays there were a nice selection. (more…)
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Leap Year Feb 2012 bar exam in a few days, thoughts and tips
With just a few days until the Feb 2012 bar exam, I thought I’d share a few tips and thoughts. First on the MBE. Now is a great time to start reviewing your notecards/flashcard/notes/whatever you used to jot down all those fine line distinctions the examiners love to test on. Spend some time this weekend refreshing yourself (Past Recollection Recorded or Refreshed Recollection anyone?) on those items to make sure you are clear on the distinctions between similar topics (IIED vs NIED?).
Generally, try not to stress yourself out. The bar exam is nerve wracking enough as it is, try not to spend the weekend worrying about whether or not you are going to pass. Instead, focus your energy on studying and reviewing. After the exam is over, you’ll have plenty of time to worry about whether or not you passed. Until then, have faith in yourself that you have put in the time and effort necessary to pass.
For those of you taking Virginia, be sure you have looked at all topics including the VA multistate distinctions. There are more subjects on the Virginia bar exam than on any other jurisdiction I know of (27 or more subjects depending on how you break them down). So, for some of the more obscure ones that you may have neglected (personal property?) do a quick review to familiarize yourself with the main topics.
Other than that, good luck next week! This is a rare bar exam indeed, falling on a leap year.
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6 weeks until the Feb 2012 bar exam
With just about 6 weeks left until the February 2012 bar exam, I wanted to share some advice and thoughts for all the bar exam takers out there.
First of all, if you have been putting off studying until now, stop putting it off. The bar exam is not something many people can cram for. It requires many weeks of studying to retain the large amount of material that will be tested. If you have started studying, but have been letting other things (work, personal life, travel, etc.) prevent you from studying as much as you had planned, this is the time to really prioritize your study time and create a plan and stick to it.
Speaking of a plan, everyone should have a plan for the bar exam. (more…)
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Tutoring roster is full for Feb 2012
I have finalized my roster for tutoring for the Feb 2012 bar exam and am no longer accepting students until the July 2012 exam. If you have extraordinary circumstances, and are taking the Virginia bar, feel free to send me an email, but I am not likely to take anyone else for the upcoming bar exam.
On a different note, I believe November 2011 MPRE scores should be out this week. Good luck to everyone who took it. The MPRE can definitely be a thorn in the side as it’s not as “easy” as many make it out to be.
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Tutoring for the Feb 2012 bar exam
I can see it was a rough July for many of you. Never before have I received so many requests for tutoring so far before the next bar exam. I respond to all emails I receive, but remember that I only take on a small number of students for each exam as my methodology and tutoring style are highly personalized and I do not feel it is possible to tutor a large number of students effectively using my methods.
I am in the process of finalizing my roster for the Feb 2012 bar exam. Anyone who is interested in tutoring should email me sooner rather than later. And don’t forget the deadlines for application/re-application are fast approaching. -
July 2011 DC Bar Exam results are out: 46% overall pass rate
The results for the July 2011 DC Bar Exam have been posted here:
http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/membership/current_members/examResults.cfm
The results are a low 46% pass rate with a good number (64%) of first time takers passing. Congratulations to everyone who passed! For those of you who did not pass, don’t despair. Go over your scores, think about how you did in relation to your studying and practice and then reassess in the coming weeks. And be sure to register for the Feb 2012 bar exam before the deadline, don’t be discouraged.
My next post will be on MPRE strategy for the upcoming administration of the MPRE exam, stay tuned.
Additionally, you can get the results in PDF format here:
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Virginia Bar Exam July 2011 Results are posted – 76.40% Pass Rate
Good showing this summer to all Virginia test takers. The overall pass rate was 76.40% with a great showing by the first time takers at 81.01%. Extra kudos go out to George Mason, University of Virginia, and Washington & Lee first time takers for their schools having a pass rate over 90% and representing Virginia law schools.
To those who passed, you are licensed effective October 14, 2011. Don’t forget there are TWO pass lists, the first is everyone who passed and are licensed. The second are those who passed but still have pending issues so those on the second list are NOT licensed.
Finally, make sure you attend the swearing in ceremony on Halloween. Congratulations to those who passed! For those of you who did not, don’t despair. Re-think your approach and sign up for the February 2012 exam. The deadline for signing up is December 15, 2011.
Link to the complete list of names on both pass lists:
http://www.vbbe.state.va.us/bar/barresultsprint.html
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Virginia results this week, DC results soon
Virginia results should be out Thursday afternoon or sometime Friday at the latest. No big surprises expected but the long wait from this summer is finally drawing to an end. Good luck to everyone as the results are posted. When they are posted I’ll do a breakdown and analysis of how the numbers came out. And of course, the same for the DC scores when they are out in the next few days/weeks.
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Analysis of Barbri’s Virginia bar exam materials for self-study
Those of you that have taken Barbri or are taking it know that when you receive your materials (usually in 2 or even 3 shipments), you get about 40-50 pounds of books. This is quite absurd and one of the reasons I developed my own methodology for studying for the bar exam. Nevertheless, I thought I’d go through and briefly discuss all the individual books you get with the Barbri Virginia package, especially for those of you who will be buying these materials used from a previous test taker as many times some materials are missing. This will hopefully assist in your hunt for used study materials.
Multistate (MBE):
First a quick word on the multistate stuff Barbri gives you. I’ll be honest, I think barbri’s MBE prep is one of the worst out there. Basically, anything else is better (kaplan/pmbr, etc.). They give you a bunch of books, I wouldn’t use any of them.
Virginia:
Now to the good stuff, the Virginia specific materials. (more…)